Illuminated fence



March 3, 1931.

G. M. c. LucAs ILLUMINATED FENCE Filed 0G13. 2, 1928 o Q 21: a...Mowwwmwmwwwnmnwwwwwwmmw I as I 30 Syvum do@ w www fil liaitenteclrMar. lIt, i931" U-N1Tr-sra ANDVEDWARD o. BOWERS, :anonrvnns GEORGE 1v1.o. LUCAS, on KENMORE, 'new Yoan, AssIefNon 'ro cnARLnsL. rnifnMAN orwrcnwnn SPENCER STEEL COMPANY, f

` 0F vT0NAW'ANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION `OIE DELAWARE iLLUMInArEnreiten Application med drober 2, icas. serial no. 309,858. j

This invention relates to an illuminated fence and more particularly toysuch a fence which isA designed to enclose air portsand prevent thepublic from entering vthe-held and subjecting themselves to the dangerof` same in landing. The illumination or the boundary -tence alsoclearly Ademarcates' the airport andV greatly assists the aviator ingetting his bearings and making a safe landing at night.

A further object is to provide such a fence which is as low as ispracticable for its purpose and in which all overhead wires areeliminated. Such overhead wires and obstructions cannot be seenfromjtherapidly moving` airplane, particulairly4 at night,` and jconstitutea very dangerous hazard about an airport. Moreover, due to theangle at which airplanes land, everyy obstruction cutsv oli" seven timesYits length in theetf'ective area of4 the airport andconsequently' ally'such obstructions, such as wires and the like, greatly y intermediatepost l() is adapted 'to connect `the against the weather and accidentalinjury.

A further aim is lto provide a fence otthis character. which iskvprovided. with covered openings permitting' the concealed 'wires' to berepaired readily` at their place of kconnection with the electric lightXtures'thereby facilitatingl the installation, inspection' andrepairofthe wires.

Other aims are toprovide such a'fence whichv is extremely strong, whichis composed of vvinexpensive parts and can bev erected with littleexpense, thereby 'permitting of the installation of such fenceswithadequatelyv` protected j inthe curtailed appropriations usually madefor airports. f ln] the' accompanying drawings :y Figure l isafragmentary side elevation or an. airport fence made in accordance withmyinvention. Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the fence' atthe place orA juncture'between the'posts, the horizontal rails and theelec'- tri'c iixture. j

.Figure 3 s'a horizontal sectional View thereof taken online 3&3, Fig.2;

Figure a is a verticalsectional view taken VOnline' 4 4, Fig. 3. l j

y Figure! 5 is a fragmentary vertical Vsec'- v tional'view taken on line5;-5, Fig. 4. Similar rreference numerals refer to like parts in each ofthe several 'views` Y The supporting members or the rence in.-

clude tubular intermediater supporting posts 10tubular rails ll `betweenthese posts and hollow ,fittings l2 connecting the upper ends oftheposts and the rails.. The posts are suf'- Aiiciently heavyto provide adurable support for the fence andthe lower end of each post is setinto aconcrete base Aor bed YV1"?) in the ground. This concrete base or bedpreferably'y completely surrounds and seals'thel-owf er endof the vpostand terminates at 'the ysurface ior'the' ground in the usual manner, c

Each of the tlttings'l?l at the top of each post with the two adjacentrails 11 `and as best shownL in Figs. 2-5 is formed to provide adownward tubular `extension lli and two laterallyextending-portions l5.The downward tubulareXtension is adapted to receive the Vupconduit whichis adapted to receivethewires perE end of theintermediate post' 10 andto supplying electricity for illuminating the fence.

At suitable intervals gates are provided in vthe fence and for thispurpose gate posts 18 are provided which are similar tothe intermediateposts 10. Each gate post is c-onnected with the adjacent rail 11 by alitting 19 which is similar. to the fittings 12 of the intermediateposts except that the gate post fitting 19 is provided with only onelateral tubular extension since it only connects with one rail. 1

rlhe gate 2O may be of any suitable construction and is hung on hinges21 which are carried by one of thegate posts. To hold the gate in itsclosed position any suitable form of latch 22 may be employed to securethe gate to the other gate post and prevent the same from being openedexceptwhen released.

Both the gate 2O and the fence framev are covered by a wire fencing 2Swhich is preferably-of the chain or link type. This fencing ispreferably secured to vertical end bars 24 and is secured at intervalsto the fence rails 11. Each of the end bars against which the wirefencing 23 is drawn is preferably rigidly securedvto the correspondinggate post 18V by brackets 25 so that the fencing is securely l held atits ends. In a similar manner the wire fencing covering the gate is heldbetween two bars 26 connected byebolts 27 to the gate frame and issecured atits upper and .lower edges to the upper and "lower rails ofthe gate.

At the lower ends of the gate posts 18, elbows 28 are provided and tothese elbows is secured a. pipe 29 which extends between the gate postsand forms a subterranean conduit therebetween. 'Y

Each of the fittings 12 and 19 at the upper end of the fence posts isprovided with an upwardly extending internally threaded neck 30 whichforms a socket for the reception of l' through an underground conduit34E which is connected with any one of the fence posts. The wiresfromvthis conduit pass up through Y the fence post andrun along throughthe tubular rails 11 and the fittings 12 and 19 as indicated in Fig. 1.When a gate is encountered, the wires 34; are passed through thelitting'19'atthe upper end of the gatepost 18,

down the gate post 18 across the underground pipe 29 connecting thelower ends of the vgate served that the wire is at all times carriedwithin the members forming the fence, and are adequately protected fromthe ei'iects oi 'weather or other injuries. Y .Y By providing anunderground conduitto the fence, all overhead wires are eliminated andconsequently this hazard to the safety of aviators is avoided.

Each ofthe electric light iixtures 32 is provided with the usual wires36 which extend through the neck 31. These wires as indicatedin Fig. lare connected in parallel with the line wires 34 in the usual manner andconsequently all of the lights arel illuminated from the main linewires. To facilitate the threading of the line wires 311 through thefence members and also to permit of connecting, inspecting and repairingthe fixture wires 36 connected therewith, openings are provided at oneside of each of the fittings 12 and 19 which .openings are, covered byplates 37.

These plates are secured in place by screws d8y or in any other suitablemanner.

As a whole this invention provides a fence for airports or the likewhich is adequately illuminated by lights arranged ateach fence post andin which there are no exposed or overhead wires. The fence is alsoextremely simple and durable in construction and can be erected 'at lowcost. f

I claim as my invention:

1. A fence composed of open ended hollow post members, open ended hollowrail members, hollow fittings connecting said post and rail members,said rail members and hollow fittings jointly providing a continuous,uninterrupted, enclos-ed conduit along the fence, a plurality ofelectric lights spaced along the fence rail and supported by the fenceand electric wires arranged in said conduit and connected with saidlights.

2. A fence composed of open ended hollow post members, open ended hollowrail meinbers,.hollow ittingsconnecting said post and rail members, saidrail members and hollow fittings jointly providing av continuous',uninterrupt-ed, enclosed conduit along the fence, an electric lightcarried by a number of said fittings and electric wiresy arranged invsaid conduit and connected with said lights to illuminate'the same.

8. A fence composed of a plurality of tubular posts, a' plurality oftubular rails between said posts, hollow fittings mounted on the tops ofsaid posts and having portions receiving the ends of said rails, saidrailsv connected with each of said electric light fixtures, and wiremesh fencing carried by said rails and posts.

4. A fence composed of a plurality of tun bular posts, a'concrete basesupporting each of said posts, tubular rails between said posts, hollowfittings mounted on the tops of saidV posts and receiving the ends ofsaid tubular rails, said fittingsforniing with said rails and posts acontinuous, uninterrupted, enclosed conduit and said fittings beingformed to receive the bases of electric light fixtures, wires arrangedin said conduit and extending the entire length of the fence andconnected with each of said electric light fixtures and wire meshfencing carried by said rails and posts. v

- end of the corresponding rail, an abutment limiting the inwardmovement of the corresponding rail relative to said fitting and anupward extension adapted to receive the base of' an electric lightfitting, said posts, fittings and rails together forming a continuousconduit, electric light fixtures carried by said fittings, wiresarranged in said conduit and connected with said fixtures and a wiremesh fencing carried by said rails and posts.

6. A fence composed of a plurality of tubular posts, a concrete basesupporting each of said posts, tubular rails between said posts, hollowfittings mounted on the tops of said posts, each of said fittingscomprising a downward tubular extension receiving the and receiving theends of said tubular rails.l said fittings forming with said rails andposts a continuous conduit and said fittings Vbeing formed to receivelthe bases of electric light fixtures, wire mesh `fencing carried by saidrails and posts, a cross conduit connecting the lower ends of said gateposts and an electr-ic wire extending throughsaid tubular rails,fittings, gate posts and the conduit connecting the lower ends of saidygate posts, said wire being connected with each of said electric lightxtures.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature. n

GEORGE M. C. LUCAS'.

upper end of the corresponding post, an

abutment limiting the downward movement of said fitting relative tosaidpost, at least .onelateral tubular extensionV receiving the duit,electric light fixtures carried by said fittings, wires arranged in saidconduit and connected with said fixtures, said fittings being providedwith openings at one side, a cover removably arranged over each of saidopenings, thereby permitting said wires to be inspected or repaired attheir place of' connection with said fixtures and a wire mesh fencingcarried by said rails and posts.

7. A fence composed of a plurality of tubular posts at least two ofwhich form gate posts, tubular rails between said posts, hollow fittingsmounted on the tops of said posts

